The Dreaded Morning Feeling
For many people living with anxiety, mornings can be the hardest part of the day.
You may go to bed feeling hopeful, even proud of how well the day went — only to wake up feeling like you’re right back at square one. Or worse, you go to bed feeling nervous, and wake up with that same nervousness still hanging over you.
This morning feeling can be deflating, confusing, and difficult to shake — but with understanding and strategy, you can manage it.
Get Up and Get Moving
When anxiety hits first thing in the morning, our natural reaction is often to stay in bed, hoping the feeling will pass. But staying in bed usually makes it worse.
You lie there, steeped in worry and overthinking. Your tired body feels heavier. Your thoughts grow louder. The longer you stay there, the harder it becomes to move — both physically and mentally.
The key here is:
Get up as soon as you wake up.
Yes, even if you still feel anxious.
Yes, even if your body feels like it weighs a ton.
Why? Because movement breaks the cycle. When you rise and begin a simple morning routine — shower, tea, breakfast, a bit of TV, walking the dog — you’re not allowing anxiety to dictate your morning. You are leading, not reacting.
Your Body Will Catch Up
People with anxiety often feel fatigued — and let’s be honest, everyone feels tired when they first wake up.
But here’s the truth:
Your body doesn’t “get going” before you get up.
It gets going because you get up.
So if you’re waiting for your body to feel ready, you may be waiting until noon — and by then, guilt and frustration have joined the party.
You might be tempted to hit the snooze button, and that’s okay in the short term. But if you keep rising soon after waking, it becomes a habit — just like any other.
I once had to leave home at 6:30 AM to commute to London. At first, I thought, “There’s a 6:30 in the morning?” But after a week or so, I even found myself waking up at that time on weekends. Our brains and bodies are incredibly adaptive — if we give them the chance.
The Science Behind the Struggle
Did you know that cortisol, your body’s primary stress hormone, peaks in the morning?
That early surge of cortisol can make anxiety feel stronger right when you wake up — which is why lying in bed can feel like a mental minefield. Your thoughts go into overdrive. You check in with how your body feels. You question how you’ll make it through the day.
But your metabolism and mood won’t “kick in” while you’re still in bed. You have to start moving for things to shift.
The Trap of Expectation
A common issue with morning anxiety is the expectation we place on it.
We go to bed hoping, “Maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up and feel normal. Maybe that’ll be the day I’m finally cured.”
But anxiety doesn’t work like that. It doesn’t vanish overnight — it fades gradually, often without us even noticing. One day, you’ll realise you’ve gone a whole morning without checking in on how anxious you feel — and that will be the moment you’ve made more progress than you thought.
Until then, remind yourself:
Waking up with anxiety doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It means you’re still recovering, and recovery is allowed to be gradual.
What to Remember Each Morning
- Don’t lie and worry. Get up and move before anxiety settles in.
- Avoid scanning your body or overanalyzing how you feel. It only feeds the fear.
- Have a simple routine ready. Structure and familiarity can calm the mind.
- Know that mornings often feel worse — but they don’t define the rest of the day.
- Let go of the need for “proof” of recovery. Just like growing your hair, the change is happening, even if you can’t see it yet.
A Final Thought
If you wake up tomorrow and anxiety is still there, that’s okay. You’re still moving forward. You’re still healing. You’re still doing the work.
Accept where you are. Float through it. And let time do the rest.
Tim Grover - Bedfordshire Therapies 